Aerospatiale SA 321 Super
Frelon

Medium transport helicopter

The Aerospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon
was the largest production helicopter in Western Europe

Entered service

1965

Crew

5 men

Dimensions and weight

Length

23 m

Main rotor diameter

18.9
m

Height

6.76
m

Weight (empty)

6.86 t

Weight (maximum take off)

13 t

Engines and performance

Engines

3 x Turbomeca Turmo IIIC7 turboshafts

Engine power

3 x 1 610 hp

Maximum speed

248 km/h

Service ceiling

3.1 km

Range

1 020 km

Endurance

4 hours

Payload

Maximum payload

5 t

Typical load

27 troops or 15 stretchers

Armament

Cannon

provision for a 20-mm cannon or machine guns

Missiles

provision for 2 x Exocet anti-ship missiles

Torpedoes

provision for 4 x anti-submarine torpedoes

To meet a
French armed services requirement for a medium transport helicopter,
Sud-Aviation flew the prototype SE.3200 Frelon (hornet) on 10 June
1959. Powered by three Turmo IIIB turboshafts, the SE.3200 had large
external fuel tanks that left the interior clear for a maximum of 28
troops, and a swing-tail fuselage to simplify cargo loading.
However, development was terminated in favor of a larger and more
capable helicopter designed in conjunction with Sikorsky and Fiat.
What was to become Western Europe's largest production helicopter
emerged with a rotor system of Sikorsky design, and with a
watertight hull suitable for amphibious operation. Two military
prototypes of the Super Frelon were built, the SA 3210-01 troop
transport, and the SA 3210-02 maritime version for the Aeronavale on
28 May 1963.

Four pre-production
aircraft were built under the new designation SA 321 Super Frelon.
These were followed in October 1965 by production SA 321G
anti-submarine warfare
helicopters for the Aeronavale. Apart from ship-based ASW missions,
the SA 321G also carried out sanitisation patrols in support of
Redoutable class ballistic missile submarines. Some were modified
with nose-mounted targeting radar for
Exocet anti-ship missiles. Five SA 321GA
freighters, originally used in support of the Pacific nuclear test
centre, were transferred to assault support duties. In 2003, the
surviving Aeronavale Super Frelons were assigned to transport duties
including commando transport, VertRep and search and rescue.

Six
radar-equipped SA 321GM helicopters were delivered to Libya in
1980-81. The SA 321G was also modified for air force and army
service. Designated SA 321H, a total of 16 was delivered from 1977
to the Iraqi Air Force with radar and
Exocet
missiles. These aircraft were
used in the Iran-Iraq conflict and the 1991 Gulf War, in which at
least one example was destroyed.

The SA 321JA
was a higher weight version of the commercial SA 321J, of which the
People's Republic of China navy received 16 aircraft fitted with
targeting radar. Non-amphibious military export versions included 12
SA 321K transports for Israel, 16 similar SA 321L transports for
South Africa and eight SA 321M SAR/transports for Libya.

When French
production ended in 1983 a total of 99 Super Frelons had been built,
but production continued in China under license-agreement as the
Changhe Z-8.

The French
Super Frelon has been exported to Iraq, Israel, Libya and South
Africa. Eight Israeli helicopters were re-engined with T58 engines
and later sold to Argentina. Currently all Super Frelons have been
retired. Today China is the only operator of this helicopter (Z-8).
Furthermore in 2014 an improver version, the
Z-18,
has been revealed. It is understood that it is already in service
with Chinese military.